Azerbaijan, Baku, July 4 / Trend, A.Akhundov /
An increase is expected in grain productivity by more than three quintals per hectare in Azerbaijan in 2011, Deputy Agriculture Minister Bahram Aliyev told journalists on Monday.
"Today, the average grain productivity in Azerbaijan is 23 quintal per hectare, a growth is also expected," Aliyev said.
In 2010, 20.7 quintals of grain have been harvested from per hectare on average.
He said oats harvesting began in June, and over 752,000 tons have been harvested.
Azerbaijan is expected to produce 2.5 million tons of grain in Azerbaijan, which is 500,000 tons more than last year, Agriculture Minister Ismet Abasov told journalists earlier.
"We forecast production of 2.5 million tons of grain in presence of favorable weather conditions, 1.7 million of which will account for food grain," he said.
It is planned to produce 800,000 tons of barley in 2011.
Last year the country harvested more than 2.000 million tons of grain, which is 33 percent less than in 2009. Some 20.7 quintals of grain were harvested from each hectare of land on average.
Abasov said today the country's demand in grain crops is 3-3.2 million tons.